•  
  •  
 

Abstract

In the mid-1900s the United States began to see a rise in concern for environmental awareness issues. In the early days the movement focused on things like clean air, water and pollution but by the 1970s-1990s many prominent environmental awareness groups began to form focused on the idea that in order to avert climate change the principal goal needed to be to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. In 1987 a report was released called Toxic Waste and Race, which outlined an intimate link between the placement of environmental hazardous waste sites in communities of color, and greater instances of polluted air, with contaminated water and soil in those communities as well. The concept of “Environmental Justice” soon formed with advocates labelling the above trend to disproportionately burden minority communities with environmentally harmful industries or practices “Environmental Racism.”

Share

COinS